Support Endangered Vulture and Owlet Conservation

Inspiring stories can come from unusual places!

Join me in supporting the efforts of the Nature Conservation Society of Nashik (NCSN) in protecting three magnificent but critically endangered bird species: the Forest Owlet, the Long-Billed Vulture, and the White-Backed Vulture.

The Nature Conservation Society of Nashik was founded in 1994 and has since worked towards the conservation of Nashik's spectacular biodiversity. Their past work has included (among other projects) monitoring populations of the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican at Ozhar (Nashik), the establishment and maintenance of the Borgad (or Bhorkada) Conservation Reserve in East Nashik, and organising nature-themed painting competitions for children in urban and rural schools all around Nashik District.

In September 2017, I will be running 21 kilometers at the half-marathon event at the Ladakh Marathon. Aside from being a huge personal challenge, I hope to use this run to raise awareness about nature conservation. I am thus linking my run effort to raising funds for the NCSN's ongoing work to save Nashik's biodiversity. 

I am supporting the Society's ongoing efforts to save three bird species listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List:

The Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti):

Considered extinct for 113 years, the Forest Owlet was rediscovered in 1997 in Maharashtra. Known from only a handful of locations in India, the Forest Owlet has recently been discovered in Harsul, a part of Nashik District, by NCSN volunteers. With an estimated 50 - 250 individuals in the wild today, it is critical that the Forest Owlet be protected lest it should pass on into history. The NCSN hopes to help preserve them by having the area designated a Conservation Reserve and by engaging with local villagers and residents through nature talks and painting competitions.

The Long-Billed Vulture (Gyps indicus):

The White-Backed Vulture (Gyps bengalensis):

Populations of Indian Long-Billed Vultures and White-Backed Vultures have been decimated by the use of the veterinary drug diclofenac in cattle. Ingestion of this drug by vultures through carrion meat has resulted in these vulture species being brought to the brink of extinction: both species are now listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN’s Red List.

But, there is hope that these majestic birds can survive and flourish.

Long-Billed and White-Backed vulture populations have been holding out in small pockets of Nashik and Ahmednagar districts. The Nature Conservation Society of Nashik, a community-driven NGO, has been working with the Maharashtra Forest Department and various Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) for several years to monitor and conserve vulture populations in both areas. This work takes the form of field campaigns to document vulture sightings and observe their behaviour and nesting sites, and interacting with the local communities to spread awareness on vultures. Some highlights include:

The Return of Vultures to Ramshej Fort:

Following a gap of 10 years, Long-Billed Vultures were seen nesting at Ramshej Fort, 10 km North West of Nashik City. Healthy vultures have also been sighted at other locations in Nashik including the hill ranges near Anjaneri, Basgad, and Igatpuri. The NCSN is expanding their field campaigns to locate, study, and document more nesting sites in Nashik and Ahmednagar district as well.

Establishment of a Vulture Restaurant in Harsul:

Yes, you read that right. A restaurant. For Vultures.

Thanks to efforts by the Forest Department and residents of the village of Khoripada in Harsul, Nashik District, animal carcasses are now brought to the pictured “restaurant” which attracts vultures to feed. All animals need to be certified as having not been treated with the diclofenac drug. The success of this pilot project is encouraging, and the NCSN is now in the process of scouting for additional sites to establish Vulture Restaurants and engaging with rural communities to spread awareness about vulture conservation.

Conservation is tough work. Locations are remote, conditions are often challenging, and months of dedicated fieldwork can sometimes end in failure. However, each species saved represents the survival, against all odds, of a creature with as much right to the world and life as us. Please consider donating to my fundraiser to help save Long-Billed and White-Backed Vultures and Forest Owlets!

Here's a quick update